Generally, a hard disk drive is installed inside the body of a computer and serves as an auxiliary memory device to store and keep data. A user has to use a screwdriver to unfasten several screws connecting a cover to the body of the computer system and open the cover in order to mount or remove the hard disk drive from the computer. Especially in a portable computer, after a hard disk drive is placed within the computer body against a bottom plate thereof, the hard disk drive is connected by means of a plurality of screws inserted from the bottom of the computer body through holes in the bottom plate and screwed into threaded holes in the hard disk drive. Generally, when inserting or removing the hard disk drive from the portable computer, the user has to turn the computer body over and rest it on its opened top, which is apt to cause damage to the computer.
Most conventional hard disk drives are installed inside computer systems and are packed in resin molds, which interferes with portability from one computer system to another. Practically speaking, it is impossible for a user to carry the hard disk drive with him to another computer system. The information on the hard disk drive has to be downloaded to another storage medium and read back therefrom to the other computer system in order to be able to transfer the information on the hard disk drive to the other computer system.
To make the hard disk drive more portable, Korean Utility Model Application No. 92-1726 filed Feb. 6, 1992 discloses a hard disk drive mounting assembly for a portable computer. The assembly comprises a lower plate having a plurality of guide projections, a rail and incisive grooves on both sides for connection to a computer body by bolts, a slider having holes into which the guide projections are inserted, and a sill on which the rail reposes, a hard disk drive combined with the lower plate and moving along with the lower plate, and a cover combined with the lower plate and surrounding the hard disk drive. A user opens the cover and removes the slider to the outside by separating the slider front the lower plate via the rail, in such a manner that the hard disk drive may be removed from the slider.
Korean Utility Model Application No. 92-13239 filed Jul. 16, 1992 discloses a hard disk drive mounting structure for a portable computer. According to this scheme, a block is fixedly mounted on a point to which the hard disk drive is inserted; a holder connector is rotatably installed on the block inserting a torsion spring; and a hard disk drive connector is mounted detachably on the holder connector. The hard disk drive is inserted into the holder connector of the block, and is mounted on the portable computer so as to be rotatable by the torsion spring.
In either of the above-mentioned schemes, a hard disk drive may be mounted or removed from the computer system without the use of any additional separating device but there is still the inconvenience of having to open the cover of the computer system. Korean Patent Application No. 92-6316, filed Apr. 15, 1992 and entitled in translation "Hard disk drive mounting structure of a portable computer and a method therefor", and Korean Patent Application No. 92-13240, filed Jul. 16, 1992 and entitled in translation "Hard disk drive mounting structure of a portable computer", describe methods for directly mounting a hard disk drive on the inside of a computer system without having to open a cover thereof.
The hard disk drive mounting assembly disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 92-6316 comprises a drawing plate having guide protrusions on the inner sidewalls, drawing pieces on the lower ends, and elongated apertures, a lower plate having stoppers that engage with the drawing pieces, and mobile members elastically coupled to pins formed in the lower plate, by an inserting torsion spring. In the operation of the hard disk drive mounting assembly, the locking of the mobile members is released from a cabinet, and only the drawing plate is pulled out. After that, a connector of the cabinet is separated from a connector of the hard disk drive, and the drawing plate and lower plate are pulled out simultaneously so that the hard disk drive installed in the lower plate may be separated.
The hard disk drive mounting assembly of Korean Patent Application No. 92-13240 comprises a slide member with which the hard disk drive couples, a guide board disposed in a sash housing and moving the slide member to the coupling point, and an elastic member disposed on the rear side of the guide board and applying elastic force when the hard disk drive is removed. In the hard disk drive mounting assembly, the hard disk drive is disposed inside the slide member and is fixedly disposed on a pair of boards mounted on the slide member by means of a screw. The hard disk drive is pushed into the sash housing to be mounted on the computer system when a horizontal elongated part formed on the slide member is pressed by an elastic projection provided on the guide board of the sash housing.
However, since the above structures require an additional plate or a slide member that connects the hard disk drive by a screw, their structures tend to be complicated. And the hard disk drive mounting assembly is installed in a lengthwise direction on the bottom of the computer body which takes up a great amount of space, which makes it difficult to reduce the size of the computer system.
The inventor sought a hard disk drive mounting assembly for a computer that permits a hard disk drive to be mounted within the computer system or removed therefrom without the use of any special implement and that efficiently utilizes the space within the computer system.